I feel like posting all of my donation quilts really makes me see that I have accomplished something good in the world. When I feel down, I can go and look at them. I made 14 donation tops last year. You have seen them all throughout the year, but it is nice to have them all in one place.

Total: 13 donation quilts

Ends n.7 Donation Quilt

This is Ends n.7. I made it from two half yards of burgundy (with visible pink undertones) fabric and the ends of the Triple Star quilt. Finished January 2019.

Green Strips donation top

Green Strips donation back

Green Strips donation quilt is made from a yard of Kona Cream and 19 blocks that I made from strips found in my scrap bin. This was inspired by Alison. Finished January 2019.

Green Thing donation top

Green Thing donation back

The Green Thing donation top was finished in February. I used leftover pieces from the Green Strips donation top and a lot of scraps from my green scrap drawer.

Purple Strips Quilt

Purple Strips donation top

This may be the second in the series of strip quilts. We’ll have to see if I do anymore. I have more scraps, so it is a possibility. Tim suggested the grey as the background and I think it works well.

Finished: Improv Donation Top

Purple Improv Donation Back

As I did with the Green scraps, I made an Improv donation quilt with purple scraps to further clear out that bin.

Ends n.8 – Bonnie & Camille

Ends n.8 (Bonnie & Camille). I made this from the edges of the back of the Stepping Stones n.2 quilt.

Spiky 16 Patch n.3

Spiky Star donation quilt n.3

Spiky Star donation quilt n.3 -back

I made these blocks in 2018, but just got around to put them together in March. Frankly, they were in the way on my design wall and I needed the space.

Red Strip Donation Top- Finished

My first Red Strip Donation top was delivered to Tim so he could quilt it and enter it as a triptych with the purple and green versions. He dealt with the backing.

Red Strip (Chunk) Donation Quilt

This started out as a second Red Strip Donation Top, but as I didn’t have enough strips, it became the Red Chunk Donation Top. This is the second quilt I finished from the scraps in my red scrap drawer. You can obviously see that I did use some yardage.

Orange Strip Donation Top: finished

I don’t have as many orange scraps as I have other colors, but I have enough. It is surprising how little fabric it really takes to make a quilt. I wonder what the least amount of fabric one can use to make a quilt – not a mug rug, but real sized quilts that can cover humans? The orange strip quilt came out really well and I am pleased with it. I definitely have an orange that I like. The consistency worked well to pull the whole piece together.

Orange & Green Donation TopOrange & Green Donation Back

I used up the green plain blocks I cut for the background of another quilt and then didn’t use. They were laying on my sewing table bugging me and I wanted them out of my hair. I was in orange mode, so I cut some plain orange blocks and made a quick donation top.

I always have in the back of my mind that I would like to make 30 donation blocks per month-360 in a year. This year’s achievement is 115 blocks. So far, I have made a good effort, but haven’t quite achieved that goal.

I finished the Mostly Manor HST quilt and gave it to Tim to quilt right at the beginning of February.

Ends Donation Quilt n.3

After finishing a few quilts early in the year, I some of the ends left from trimming. I found a piece of Bonnie & Camille taupe and used it to make this third Ends Donation Quilt. It really is a quick way to make a donation quilt, assuming you have a large enough piece of background. I like the effect, too.

There was enough of the taupe left as well as plenty of ends, so I made another one.

Finished Dynamic Stripes top

I decided that I would donate the quilt top from the Libs Elliott class to the guild’s efforts. I gave it in at the April meeting and didn’t provide a back or anything. Very lazy, but someone else will deal with it.

Ends n.2 donation quilt

This is another Ends donation quilt

HRT Donation Top – April 2018

I made a spiky block out of the blue-green 16 patches I made last year, which I, then, turned into a small quilt.

Joelle’s Peaky & Spike quilt

I made these blocks and Joelle made a few more blocks and the quilt.

Spiky 16 Patch n.2 Top

This is the second Spiky Stars donation quilt.

Ends n.4 Final

Cyndi did a great job quilting and binding the Ends n.4 donation quilt. I love the binding she chose.

Ends Donation Top n.5

Ends Donation top n.5

Dot Donation Quilt

Dots Donation top

Column donation top – Finished

Red & Turquoise Column Donation top

Retreat Charity quilt

I didn’t make the blocks for this quilt. Peggy brought the kits. Someone else made the blocks and someone else will quilt it. I just put the blocks together.

Ends donation top n.6

I put together another Ends donation (n.6) top and back made from the Octagon 9 Patch trimmings.

This is a good effort. 14 donation tops is a number of which I can be proud.

Last year’s post was a great wrap-up, so I decided to do it again. While you have seen all the blocks I have made throughout the year, it is nice to have them all in one place. Not all of them ended up in a quilt that I made or even one quilt. My blocks ended up in a lot of guild quilts and that makes me happy.

After yesterday’s post, I wanted to see all the donation quilt tops I have made in 2017 all in one place. I cannot take all the credit as Gerre, Tim, Erin, Cyndi and others have quilted my creations in a collaboration in which I revel. Quiltmaking is a collaborative exercise and making these donation tops in collaboration with someone who quilts them is a wonderful experience.

Star Donation Quilt

Yellow Donation Quilt

Stars #3 Donation Top

Ends Donation Top – March 2017

Ends #2 Donation Top, November 2018

Stars #2 donation top

Circles and Bars Donation Quilt

Circles Donation Quilt

BAM Pink Donation Quilt

Terrain Donation Top

The above are not in any special order. Also, not all of them are finished.

Again, I thought I had made more. I do have to give myself credit for making my part of this many quilts. They aren’t large or complicated, but they do provide something and I can honestly say that I am contributing something to the world in exchange for all that I have been given.

I thought about making one post for all donation blocks and quilts for next year. When I mentioned it, at least one of my dear readers commented that they liked seeing the donation blocks throughout the year. I decided that *I* wanted to see how many donation blocks I had sewn in 2017, thus here is a visual list of all of the donation blocks I have made for my guild.

Mid-Feb 2017 Donation Blocks

February Donation Blocks

Donation blocks, March 26, 2017

March Meeting Donation Blocks

Early April Donation Blocks

June donation block

July 2017 Donation Blocks

Retreat Donation Block n.2

Retreat Donation Block n.1

Retreat Donation Block n.3

Red November Donation Blocks

Donation block #2, November 19, 2017

Donation block, November 19, 2017

Sawtooth Stars to be – Donation Blocks

Favorite donation block

Donation block -pink/orange

Blue & White Donation block

Purple & Green Donation Block

Cotton & Steele Donation Block

French Provincial donation block

Purple and yellow donation block

Donation block: girlhood bedroom

Candy red donation block

Red and burgundy donation block

Yellow donation block

Grey and Red Donation Block – December 2017

Misc. Blues and Reds Donation Block – December 2017

Purple Dress Donation Block – December 2017

Solid Blue Donation Block – December 2017

Go Bears Donation Block – December 2017

ME Check donation block – Nov/Dec n.21

Sunset Donation Block n.3

Orange Donation Block

Orange Donation Block

Sunset Donation Block n.2

Sunset Donation Block n.1

Dark & Purple Donation Block

Red Sunset donation block

Forest Floor donation block

French Provincial Donation block

The count above looks like about 54. Some were made into tops, like the black ones. Frankly, I thought I had made more. I think I will have to catalog the quilt tops I have made as well, just to make myself feel better. There is certainly nothing wrong with these and every little bit helps, but the words of the NICU nurse who runs the program at Stanford ring in my ears. Now with the people who lost their homes in the Wine Country fires, there are not enough hours in the day to fulfill all the need.

Of course, I have to remember that I didn’t start this post early in the year, so I can’t possibly expect to capture all my work. I may do it again next year and will be more organized.

I feel like I didn’t make a lot this year. The will was there. The need was there, but time and inspiration conspired against me for many months. Still, I have an impressive record:Number of 2016 Blog Posts: 367

Well, another year has past. Shocking how quickly it zoomed past. I am sad to see 2014 go as, in a lot of ways, it was a good year. Unexpected, but good. Last January 1, I was sitting at home recovering from a fun night out with Friend Julie and her fabulous husband. this year I am anticipating another night out with Julie and her husband. Yes, I am a creature of habit.

Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I finished our fusible machine applique’ blocks and I am supposed to be preparing the next class on curves.

The Tarts Come to Tea: I haven’t quilted on this since April 2011. I really do need to work on the quilting. I was making good progress and then got sidetracked. Quilting the Whole Cloth quilt sort of got me back in the swing of quilting, so perhaps there is hope for this piece?

Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. Mrs. K. gave me more PP fabric and I won some from a giveaway. I think it is a sign that I need to work on this.

While in sewing heaven, though, I design a block in EQ7 to use to make some Lovey blocks I promised. I saw the idea in a UK magazine called Fabrications. You can make this block as well as I am including the Postage Stamp Star Directions for your sewing pleasure! I was thinking of using these directions to set the donation blocks, but they might end up too big. I’ll see. I should probably plan the whole quilt using this setting from the start.

I made two of these for two different Lovey quilts.

4 Donation Blocks

I also finished all of the donation blocks. The blocks are ok looking, definitely cheerful, but I think, if I were to do this color scheme again, I would pay more attention to the tone of the color of the green.

Still I think these are interesting and cheerful and that some NICU baby will like the quilt.

1 Pink & Green donation block

I also started to sash these blocks. I decided to sash the blocks, but with 2″ unfinished strips rather than the 2.5″ strips I used last time. It means more cutting, but I think it will add interest to the quilt.

The Sew-in was fun. It was nice to sew at home and have others sew along at the same time.

To find out how to participate in the Labor Day Sew-in, read the previous post.

I don’t feel like I got as much done on Day 2 as I did on Day 1, but I am still pretty pleased with the amount of work I got done.

4 Pink & Green Donation blocks

I worked on the donation blocks and think I have 9 more to go before I can start chunking.

I feel like I should have gotten all of these done, but I made a couple of journal covers, which required more than straight mindless sewing. Still 4 is good, right? Immerhin, right?

Journal Cover closed

Next up: Journal covers. Did I say somewhere that I started a new journal this past week and needed a journal cover? If not, I started a new journal this past week and need a journal cover. I didn’t believe my own directions, so that meant that I made one and it was just a tad too small. I was able to cut the covers of an old journal and use it, but I still needed a cover for my new journal. I followed my own directions this time and came up with one I could use. It is a tad too large, but works.

Journal Cover open (back cover)

I am not sure why I like using journal covers, but I do. I like seeing cheerful fabric. I liked the softness and a journal cover gives the impression of more privacy. Real privacy? I don’t know, but the impression is ok with me. My journal doesn’t often leave my sight.

I adjusted the sizes slightly and might try another cover tomorrow (LDSI3). I always need covers for new journals, so making another one would mean I get a bit ahead. I would like to go back and cover all of my journals, but I just don’t see that happening right now. Someday, perhaps.

A-B-C Challenge Blocks – more sashing

I also worked on the A-B-C Challenge Blocks. I used the last bit of the half yard that TFQ returned from the Super Secret project. I was able to sash a lot of blocks with that half yard. I am fortunate I was able to find more of the grey, so I started pressing and cutting into that.